Sanitary communion-service



4 SheetsS heet 1.

(No Model.)

G. FORBES. SANITARY GOMMUNION SERVICE. No. 553,846. Patented Feb. 4,1896.

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' C. FORBES.

SANITARY GOMMUNION SERVICE. I No. 553,846. Patented Feb. 4,1896.

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('No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. FORBES.

SANITARY COMM-UNION SERVICE.

. J r mm m a M m m m w A. n M W b. N I e P d w 7 n a 6 b a P M 6. m 4 w3 .0 m w l n n N m W c ANDREW RGRAHAM PHOTO-LING WASHINGTONJ):

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

0. FORBES. SANITARY GOMMUNION SERVIGE.

Patgntd Feb; 4,1396.

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mtnesses ANDREW BJSRAHAM. PHDTO-UTNO WASNI NUDNQC UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES FORBES, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SANITARY COMMUNlON-SERVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,846, dated February4, 1896. Application filed July 13,1894. Serial No. 517,477. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that 1, CHARLES FORBES, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Rochester, in the State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Sanitary Communion-Service, ofwhich the following is a specification. This invention relates to theapparatus or service employed in churches for administering thesacrament of the Lords Supper,

as part thereof, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Several of the said novel combinations of parts comprise cup-holders soconstructed as to hold the individual cups in ranks, which, togetherwith a central horizontal handle at top, are parallel with the sides ofa narrow rack, so as to facilitate passing the rack from hand to hand inthe pews of a church; also in ranks of uniform length exposed at thesides of the rack, so as to provide for filling the cups by ranks withrapidity and with reduced exposure to the atmosphere as compared withother arrangements.

Another feature on which certain claims are based is the adaptation ofthe cup-holders to so coact with handle extensions ona peculiar style ofcup as to keep the handles outermost, to limit the descent of the cupswithin bottomless cup-receiving holes, and to assist in steadying thecups within the rack.

Another feature preferably common to each of the cup-holders hereinafterdescribed and to each bread-tray combined therewith is dust-excludingcovers, each cup-cover serving conveniently for a rank of cups at least,while those of the entire rack may be manipulated simultaneously, so asto provide for readily filling the cups in si'iu as Well as to providefor readily inserting and withdrawing the cups individually. Suchdustexcluding covers serve to prevent foreign matter and germs of suchdiseases as diphtheria, scarlet fever, measles and other eruptivediseases from falling into the cups or upon the bread from the clothingof the communicants. They also admit of the cups being filled the daybefore communion, as they serve to prevent any evaporation of the wineafter they are lowered, and to exclude insects and motes of everydescription.

Four sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure I of the drawings is a perspective view of a combined cup-rackand bread-tray with its cupcovers elevated and two ranks of cupsremoved. Fig. II is a perspective view of one of the cups, on alargerscale. Fig. III is a vertical cross-section through said combinedcup-rack and bread-tray, Fig. I, on the same scale as Fig. II. Fig. IVis a fragmentary horizontal section on the line a b, Fig. III. Fig. V isa half vertical cross-section of a sanitary cup-rack, illustratingcertain modifications. Fig. VI is a fragmentary elevation projected fromFig.V. Fig.VII is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 0 cl,Fig. V. Fig. VIII is a fragmentary end elevation illustrating additionalmodifications. Fig. IXis a sec tional plan view projected from Fig.VIII. Fig. X is a fragmentary end View illustrating anothermodification. Fig. XI is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectionillustrating additional modifications. Figs. XII and XIII arerespectively top and end views, both of them fragmentary, illustratingadditional modifications. Fig. XIV is a fragmentary sectional elevationillustrating additional modifications. Fig. XV is an end elevation ofanother modified cup-rack. Fig. XVI is a fragmentary vertical section ate f, Fig. XV. Fig. XVII is a handle detail projected from Fig. XV. Fig.XVIII is a vertical cross-section of a pew-rack for empty cups, and Fig.XIX is a sectional elevation of a suitable cup-filling device.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts in all the figures.

The term cup-rack, as hereinbefore and hereinafter employed, is intendedto include the upright form represented at A in Figs. I,-

III, V, VIII, and XI, and also flatter or traylike forms, such as theone represented at A in Fig. XV; the term bread-tray to include not onlythe specific rectangular form represented at B in Figs. I and III, butalso any other approved form capable of being combined with a cup-rack,and the term cup to include cups having handles, as shown at C in Figs.1, II, and III, and at C in Fig. V, of metal or of glass or the like,and also han dleless glasses, as represented at (Q in FigsVIII, IX, X,XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVIII, and XIX, or similar cups of metal or thelike, and goblet-shaped chalices, as represented at (J in Fig. XI, orany other approved form of individ ual communion-cup.

In the specific combination represented by Figs. I to IV, inclusive, thecup-rack A comprises a rectangular bottom frame 1, a pair of enduprights 2, and cup-holders 3 in the form of successive terraces oneabove another, all of which are conveniently made of suitable wood andrigidly united with each other; and each of said cup-holders hasvertical holes 4 fitted to the bottoms of its complement of the cups 0,and gage-surfaces 5 at its outer edges which coact with downwardextensions .6 of the cup-handles to keep the handles uniformly outermostwhen the cups are in the rack, as in Figs. I and III, and to aid insupporting the cups against tilting, and also to limit the descent ofthecups within such holes. (See Fig. III.) The cups are thus held inranks of uniform length, preferably of ten each, parallel with eachother at the respective sides of the rack and one above another, so thatthe base of the rack maybe as narrow as practicable, in order toeconomize room on the communiontable and to facilitate passing the rackin the pews.

A flat dust-excluding cup-cover 7, of metal or other suitable material,extends over each rank of cups'. A pair of U-shaped slides 9 are guidedby vertical grooves 10 in the inner faces of the end uprights 2, and areprovided with notches 11, Fig. IV, fitted to the runners 8 at therespective ends of the cup-rack, and detent-springs 12, of wire,attached at their ends to said uprights 2, engage with central notches13 in the runners S to keep the covers normally above both ranks of thecups beneath, as in full lines in Fig. III. By lifting on the twoslid-es 9 the cup'covers may be raised simultaneously to the elevatedpositions in which they are shown in Fig. I and in full lines in Fig.III, and when they are thus lifted each pair of covers may be slidhorizontally, as represented by dotted lines at 7 in Fig. III, to exposethe ranks of cups individuallyto a greater extent when the en ps are tobe filled. hen the cup-covers are lowered upon the cups, as at 7 in Fig.III, downwardly-projecting flanges 14 coact with those ranks of cupswhich are most widely separated, as at 149' in Fig. III, tokeep the cupsfrom tilting inward, and all the cup-covers perform their other andprincipal functions hereinbefore set forth.

Immediately above the topmost of the cupcovers 7 abread-tray B issuitably supported between the upper ends of the end uprights 2, beingconstructed with dust-excluding covers 15, which remain open, as at 15in Fig. III, only long enough to introduce the portions of bread,corresponding in number with the cups at the respective sides of thecuprack, and while they are being taken therefrom by the individualcommunicants. These covers are conveniently hinged, as at 16 in Fig.III, and the tray is conveniently divided by a central longitudinalpartition 17, Fig. III, into two compartments, one beneath each of thecovers 15.

A central horizontal handle 18, parallel with the sides of the rack, isrigidly connected with the upper ends of the end uprights 2 by staywires19, so as to rigidly unite said end uprights and to serve in common forthe cuprack and bread-tray, which are thus combined in one convenientarticle of symmetrical proportions.

In the modified arrangement represented by Figs. V to VII, inclusive,the cup-rack A comprises a wooden bottom 1 and end uprights 2,substantially similar to those of the form above described, cup-covers 7and coverrunners 8, identical with those above described, and also theabove-described central horizontal handle 18 and handle stays 19.Instead of the wooden cup-supports above described, metalliccup-supports 3 coact with downwardly-projeeting handle extensions (3, asin the combination above described, and with those portions of therespective cups underlying said handle extensions, and are furthermoreconstructed with vertical notches 20, Fig. VI, to coact with wrists 21(see Fig. II) connecting the lower end of each handle with the body ofthe cup immediately above the handle extension 6, so that the cup may bewholly supported from this one point, and the vertical slides 9, insteadof being made of round wire, as in Figs. I, III and IV, are made of flatmetal, (see Fig. VII,) so as to readily accommodate larger notches 11for the coverrunners 8. Suitable grooves 10 for these slides are readilyformed by saw-kerfs in the end uprights 2, and wire springs 22 withinsaid grooves, coacting with the inner edges of said slides within saidgrooves, serve at once to hold the slides and the runners by frictionagainst accidental displacement.

A supplemental cover 23 is provided with hinges 24;, and supported by amiddle portion 25 between the upper ends of the end uprights 2, whichare provided with stops 26 to support the respective leaves of the coverin horizontal position. They are turned. up temporarily while the cupsare being filled and serve at other times to aid in preventing anyaccumulation of dust on the cups beneath when the cup-rack is notprovided with a bread-try at top.

In the modified cup-rack represented by Figs. VIII and IX, handlelesscups or glasses C as shown, or said cups C or or C, if

preferred, are held between pairs of fingers 3, which partly embrace thecup and are preferably elastic, so that the cup may be withdrawnlaterally from between them without damage if not first lifted so as tofree it, such fingers being conveniently supported by horizontal bars27, as in Fig. IX, between the end uprights 2 of the rack. Said enduprights are provided with slots 28, having metal linings 29, to admitthe shanks of a pair of thumblugs 30, by which a pair of vertical slides31 are operated, and the cup-covers 7 are hinged to horizontal bars 32carried by said vertical slides. By screwing the shanks of said thumb-lugs into said slides 31, as represented in Fig. IX, provisionisreadily made for fastening the covers in their elevated positions,(represented by dotted lines in Fig. VIII,) by a slight turn of thethumb-lugs. By hinging the covers they are adapted to be turned up andlowered individually, as represented by the dotted arcs at 7 Z in Fig.VIII, for the filling operation. They are simultaneously elevated bylifting on the loosened thumb-lugs 30 to facilitate the withdrawal ofthe cups by the communicants.

18, Fig. VIII, may represent a horizontal handle at top, of the samelength as the rack, or longer, if desired, and 19 either curved orvertical rods connecting the handle with the respective end uprights 2.

In Fig. X, 2 represents the rod-shaped end uprights of another modifiedrack; 3 3, cupholders similar to those last described, Figs. VIII andIX; 7 7, cup-covers; 19, the handlerods of the rack; 27, a horizontalbar supporting said cup-holders, and 33 hinges attaching said covers tosaid horizontal bar, so that the hinges are located close to the cups 0as they hang in their holders 3, and provide for freeing the cups fromtheir holders by tilting, as in dotted lines in Fig. X, and forwithdrawing them from beneath the covers without first elevating th elatter relatively to the cups.

The modified rack represented by Fig. XI comprises end uprights 2, andcup-holders 3 in the form of horizontal shelves provided with slotted orsplit stud-pins 34, to which sockets in the bottoms and stems ofgobletshaped chalices C are fitted. The slots adapt the pins to act asretaining-springs. It further comprises cup-covers 7, each common to tworanks of cups, and a simple device whereby the covers are simultaneouslyelevated and swung to either side, as in dotted lines in the figure, tofacilitate filling the cups and their withdrawal from the rack by thecommunicants. To render the covers 7 thus movable, they are rigidlyattached to vertical end bars These are connected by pivots 36 to. shortparallel links 37, two or more to each bar, and said links 37 arepivoted to the end uprights 2 by countersunk screws 38, for

which other suitable pivots may of course be substituted.

taneously to either side by lifting either cover All the covers aremoved simuland gently drawing or pressing it away from the side of therackwhich is to be opened.

In Figs. XII and XIII, 3 represents a cupholder in the form of a shelfhaving segmental notches 39, open at its outer edge, and of a diameterintermediate between the lesser and greater diameters of the cups G (orO or 0 so that the cups are suspended in their holders, as in themodifications represented by Figs. VIII, IX and X, while at the sametime the holders are rigid, and the cups are freed from them by liftingthem slightly and then drawing them outward,as represented by dottedlines at (l in Fig. XIII; and 7 represents a dust-excluding cup-coverprojecting rigidly at a sufficient height above a rank of cupsto providefor readily withdrawing the cups from beneath it. 40 40, Fig. XII,represent nails or pins to keep wooden cupsupporting shelves so notchedfrom warping or splitting. V

In Fig. XIV, 3 represents a cup holder in the form of a stampedsheet-metal shelf having a cup-shaped socket for each cup; 7 representsa flexible cup-cover; 41 represents a roller upon which the cover may bewound to expose the cups when they are to be filled or distributed, and42 represents a stiffening and weighting wire at the outer edge of thecover. swer for two or more ranks of cups, if desired.

The tray-shaped cup-rack A (represented by Figs. XV, XVI, and XVII)comprises cupholders 3 in the form of double terraces, provided withvertical holes 4, as in the arrangement first described, but preferablyof 'sufficient size to allow handleless cups C to set more deeply inthem, as in Fig. XV, so as to be steadily supported, and with the edgesof successive terraces retreating inward the Width of the two ranks ofcups supported by the terraces beneath, and with the tops of thesuccessive terraces on a level with the tops of the cups supported bythe terraces next below. WVhen the cup-holders 3 are of wood, theirholes 4 are preferably lined with metal, as at 43 in Fig. XVI, topreserve the diameter of hole. Cup-covers 7 for all exceptthe uppermostcups'are conveniently hinged to the outer edges of the cup-holders 3.Those of the uppermost cups are hinged in like manner to a middle bar44. The hinges of all the covers in this arrangement are preferably soformed that the covers can be turned up, as in. dotted lines at 7 a inFig. XV, to facilitate filling the cups by ranks, or, as at 7, while thecups beneath are being removed, as in dotted lines at O and can bedropped down out of the way, as at 7, when all the cups beneath havebeen removed. A suitable base 45 and spacing-blocks 46 between thelower- A cover of this description may anmost and middle cup-holders, acentral longitudinal frame-piece 47, a horizontal longitudinal handle 18at top, and a pair of curved handle-bars 19, pinned fast at their outerends within said frame-piece47, complete the cup-rack. Thelongitudinalbar 44 which supports the uppermost cup-covers isconveniently fastened to vertical portions of said handle-bars 19, withthe aid of collars l8 on the latter.

To receive the emptied handleless cups C, especially when these are ofthin glass, as represented in the drawings, an empty-cup rack E, Fig.XVIII, may be temporarily suspended in each pew, the same to be composedof a bottom 49, a back 50, and a top 51, united with each other, saidtop having a suificient number of holes 52 fitted to the cups at theirupper edges and being so located above the bottom 49 as to inclose andprotect the thin lips of the cups. Hanging bars having keyhole-slots arerepresented at 53, and woodscrews to coact therewith are represented at54. Other forms of the individual cups may be cared for after they havebeen emptied in any approved way.

For filling the cups after they have been arranged in the cup-racks A orA so as to fill all the cups in one rank at one operation and withuniformity and neatness, a filling device, Fig. XIX, adapted to be soused, preferably forms part of the sanitary communion service, and isconveniently constructed as follows: A. bottle F of suitable capacity isconstructed with a vertical neck 55 at its upper end and with ahorizontal neck 56 at or near its bottom. A horizontal distributing-tubeD is tightly fitted to said horizontal neck by means of a bushing 57within the latter, and is provided at bottom with a series of outlets 58corresponding in number with a rank of cups and as to distance apartwith the centers of the cups, and a stopper 59 closes the outer end ofthe tube. In filling the bottle F it is tilted about forty-five degrees,when the first outlet in the distributing tube D will be sufficientlyhigh to prevent any escape therethrough while the wine is being pouredin. A hollow stopper 60 and an air-tube 61 extending therethrough arenow inserted into and through the vertical neck 55, as in Fig. XIX. Thebottle F is grasped in one hand and the outer end of thedistributing-tube D with the other, and after the outlets 58 are locatedabove a rank of cups, as in Fig. XIX, the finger is removed from theupper end of the equalizing-tube 61 and the wine flows simultaneouslyinto all the cups. The flowis stopped byreplacing the finger 011 theupper end of the tube 61. The distributing-tube D is then located aboveanother rank of cups. These are filled in like manner, and thus thefilling operation proceeds until all the cups of the rack have beenfilled, after which its cup-covers are lowered and it is placed on thecommunion table or altar until it is required in the distribution of theelements. The cup'covers are then elevated, as in Fig. I, and eachcommunicant is permitted to take a cup from the cup-rack, together witha piece of bread from the bread-tray, if the two are combined, as inFigs. I and III; and the distribution proceeds in this manner until allhave partaken,

the empty cups being cared for as above.

the bread-tray 13 maybe attached to the coverlifting slides 9, and maybe adapted to slide laterally, like the cup-covers 7, to facilitate atonce access to the cups beneath in the filling operation and the removalof the bread tray for cleansing. The cup-holders may extend beyond theend uprights at the ends of the rack, with the end cups in transverseranks and with covers correspondingly constructed. The cups G, when heldbetween spring-fingers 3, Figs. VIII and IX, as above described, may begrasped thereby near the top, like the cups 0, or preferably at. thebase, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to thoseskilled in the art.

The aforesaid filling device,Fig. XIX,forms no part of my presentinvention, but is shown and described toillustrate a distinctivefunction of the sanitary cup-racks as provided with cup-holders forindividual cups in ranks of uniform length, and with cup-covers adaptedto expose the cups so that they may be filled in situ and a rank at eachfilling operation, as above described.

Having thus described the said improvement, I claim as my invention anddesire to patent under this specification 1. 111 a sanitarycommunion-service, a port able cup-rack, for individual cups, havingcup-holders which locate the cups in ranks of uniform length parallel tothe sides of the rack, and dust-excluding cup-covers, forming part ofthe rack, which are movable to expose the ranks of cups within the rack,whereby all the cups of each rank may be filled at one operation by a.suitable filling device, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. In a sanitary communion-service, a portable cup-rack, for individualcommunioncups, having a vertical series of cup-holders which locate thecups in ranks one above another parallel to the sides of the rack, alike series of dust-excluding cup-covers each of which is common to arank of cups and is movable relatively to the cup-holder beneath toexpose the cups, and a central horizontal handle at top parallel to thesides of the rack, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

3. A sanitary cup-rack having cup-holders for individual communion-cupsin parallel ranks one above another, dust-excluding cupcovers each ofwhich is common to a rank of cups and. is movable vertically relativelyto the cup-holder beneath, and means for raising and lowering all thecup-covers simultaneously, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

4. A sanitary cup-rack having cup-holders for individual communion-cupsin parallel ranks, and dust-excluding cup-covers each of which is commonto a rank of cups and is movable vertically and laterally to expose thecups beneath for the filling operation.

5. The combination, in a sanitary cup-rack, of dust-excluding cup-coversprovided at their ends With horizontal runners, vertical slides notchedto form guides for said runners, and vertically grooved end uprightsforming guides for said slides, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

"6. The combination, in a sanitary cup-rack, of dust-excludingcup-covers provided at their ends with notched horizontal runners,vertical slides notched to form guides for said runners,vertically-grooved end uprights forming guides for said slides, anddetent-springs coacting with said runners to fasten the cupcovers intheir central positions, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

7. A sanitary cup-rack having cup-holders constructed with bottomlesscup-receiving holes and with gage -surfaces at the outer edges of thecup-holders, in combination with individual communion-cups havinghandles and constructed with doWnwardly-proj ecting handle-extensionswhich coact with said gagesurfaces to keep the handles outermost and toassist in supporting the cups, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

8. A sanitary cup-rack for individual communion-cups having cup-holdersarranged in successive terraces for ranks of cups at different levels,dust-excludin g cup-covers at the respective levels, a coveredbread-tray supported above the topmost cup-covers, and end uprightscommon to all, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

9. A sanitary cup-rack for individual communion-cups having cup-holdersarranged in successive terraces for ranks of cups at different levels,dust-excluding cup-covers at the respective levels cover elevatingdevices common to all said cup-covers, a covered bread-tray above thetopmost cup-covers, and end uprights common to all, substantially ashereinbefore specified.

10. A combined cup-rack and bread-tray composed of a bottom frame, apair of end uprights, ahorizontal handle at top, cup-holders forindividual cups in ranks one above another at both sides of the rack,and a breadtray immediately beneath the handle, all of which may befixedly united with each other, movable dust-excluding cup-covers abovethe respective cup-holders, cover-lifting devices at the ends of thecup-covers, and movable covers for the bread-tray, substantially ashereinbefore specified.

CHARLES FORBES. Witnesses:

EDWARD WEBsTER, F. M. ELLERY.

